Pilot study uses recycled glass to grow plants for salsa ingredients

Reports and Proceedings

American Chemical Society

 

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DENVER, Aug. 21, 2024 — Tortilla chips and fresh salsa are tasty in themselves, but they could be even more appealing if you grow the ingredients in a sustainable way. Researchers report that cilantro, bell pepper and jalapeño can be cultivated in recycled glass from discarded, pulverized bottles like those from beer or soda. The pilot study found that partially substituting soil in a planter with recycled glass fragments speeds up plant development and reduces unwanted fungal growth.

The researchers will present their results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Fall 2024 is a hybrid meeting being held virtually and in person Aug. 18-22; it features about 10,000 presentations on a range of science topics.

When nanomaterial scientist Julie Vanegas joined the faculty at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, she was paired with a faculty mentor, Teresa Patricia Feria Arroyo, an ecologist who works on solving problems related to food security and sustainability. During their early conversations, Vanegas mentioned that she’d been assessing recycled glass particles for coastal restoration projects, such as growing willow trees. Feria wondered if glass could also be used for growing produce. To answer Feria’s question, they developed experiments for growing foods that people are familiar with, mature quickly and can be cultivated in container and backyard gardens — the ingredients for pico de gallo.

“We’re trying to reduce landfill waste at the same time as growing edible vegetables,” says Andrea Quezada, a chemistry graduate student in the Nanoworld Vanegas lab who is presenting the team’s research at the meeting. “If this is viable, then we might be able to introduce glass-based soils into agricultural practices for people here in the Rio Grande Valley and across the country.”

For their experiments, the researchers get recycled glass particles from a company that diverts bottles from landfills, crushes them into particles and tumbles the pieces to round off the edges. The final product is smooth enough that people can handle the glass bits without getting cut, says Quezada. Similarly, plant roots can easily grow around the glass pieces without being harmed.

In initial tests, the researchers assessed the soil-like qualities, such as compaction and water retention, of three different sized glass fragments. They found that a size similar to coarse sand grains had characteristics, such as allowing oxygen to reach the roots and maintaining sufficient moisture levels, that could be ideal for plant cultivation.

Now, Quezada is evaluating the recyclable glass material as a viable substitute for soil. In a greenhouse on campus, she’s growing cilantro, bell pepper and jalapeño plants in a variety of pots containing anywhere from 100% commercial potting soil to 100% recycled glass. Pots with more soil have higher levels of nutrients required for plant growth, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, compared to those with more glass. But there’s little variation in pH level among the pots, which is a promising result because plants thrive in a narrow soil pH range.

Early results suggest that the plants grown in recyclable glass have faster growth rates and retain more water compared to those grown in 100% traditional soil. “A weight ratio of more than 50% of glass particles to soil appears best for plant growth compared to the other mixtures we tested,” says Vanegas. Though, the researchers are waiting until harvest time to confirm what soil mixture produces the highest yields — and tastiest produce.

Another noteworthy result is that pots with 100% potting soil developed a fungus that stunted plant growth. Feria hypothesizes the fungus may impact nutrient uptake by the roots. However, the pots that included any amount of recyclable glass didn’t have any fungal growth. The researchers are collecting data to determine why this might be.

These results are particularly promising to Quezada because the study was done without fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides. From her experience working in agriculture, she notes that a lot of the chemicals applied to the land impact people like her family members who work or live around farming communities. “I think it's really important to try to minimize the usage of any chemicals that can negatively affect our health,” says Quezada. “If we are able to reduce them, and help the community by collecting recyclables, then we can give people a better quality of life.”

The research was funded by an Empowering Future Agricultural Scientists grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and a U.S. National Science Foundation grant that’s also supporting Glass Half Full, the company that supplied the glass particles.

A Headline Science video about this topic will be posted on Wednesday, Aug. 21. Reporters can access the videos during the embargo period, and once the embargo is lifted the same URLs will allow the public to access the content. Visit the ACS Fall 2024 program to learn more about this presentation, “Evaluating recyclable glass material as a substitute for soil in vegetable cultivation: An innovative approach to sustainable agriculture,” and other science presentations.

Pilot study uses recycled glass to grow plants for salsa ingredients (IMAGE)

American Chemical Society

Cilantro, bell pepper and jalapeño plants can grow faster when some of the potting soil is replaced with glass particles. Shown here are cilantro seedlings grown in 100% recycled glass material.

Credit

Andrea Quezada

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Title
Evaluating recyclable glass material as a substitute for soil in vegetable cultivation: An innovative approach to sustainable agriculture

Abstract
Within environmental sustainability and ecological conservation, this research embarks into an innovative exploration of sustainable agricultural methodologies. It assesses the feasibility of using recyclable glass material as an alternative, coexistent, or complete replacement for conventional soil in cultivating specific vegetables, namely cilantro, bell pepper, and jalapeno. This initiative stems from growing concerns over the depletion of arable land and the pressing need for environmental preservation, leading to a meticulous exploration of alternative cultivation mediums. Central to this study is a comprehensive evaluation of recyclable glass materials' performance, efficacy, and safety for cultivating vegetables for human consumption. The research meticulously examines the availability of primary essential minerals in each growing medium, alongside factors such as environmental humidity and temperature, as well as the growth rate, yield, nutrient content, and contamination levels of vegetables cultivated in recyclable glass mediums, comparing them to those grown in conventional soil. Using recyclable glass as a cultivation medium presents intricate challenges, including optimizing glass particle size, refining nutrient delivery mechanisms, and enhancing moisture retention capabilities. Addressing these challenges is critical for improving this innovative agricultural method, increasing its adaptability, and maximizing operational efficiency. Developing suitable recyclable glass types specifically designed for agricultural use could significantly enhance the efficacy of this medium in vegetable cultivation. Continuous research and development in this scientific field are essential to overcome existing barriers and fully understand the potential of this eco-centric cultivation medium. This could strengthen the foundations of ecological conservation and advance global food security frontiers. The study's findings could revolutionize our approach to sustainable agriculture, offering a viable solution to soil depletion and contributing significantly to environmental preservation efforts.

 

Mobile species are ‘glue’ which connect different habitats together, study finds

University of Bristol

 

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A butterfly on a mint plant – one of the herbivorous insects studied across the different habitat types.

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A groundbreaking study conducted across 30 field sites in the southwest UK has revealed the importance of incorporating varied habitats into the landscape at large.

The research, published today in Nature and led by ecologists at the University of Bristol, addresses critical questions in conservation and land management, shedding new light on species interactions and how food chains operate across multiple habitats.

The study found significant differences in food web structures among landscapes with one, two, or three habitats, including a more evenly distributed abundance of species. Multi-habitat landscapes host a higher number of species, including habitat specialists, leading to greater overall biodiversity.

Lead author Dr Talya Hackett, who ran the project from Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences and is currently at University of Oxford, explained: “Conservation and restoration projects increasingly focus on landscape-scale efforts, however, data on species interactions are often limited to specific habitats, such as woodlands, farmland or urban areas.”  

The team found that multiple habitats demonstrated enhanced resistance to species loss, offering unexpected insights into ecosystem stability.   They also discovered improved ecological functions since multi-habitat landscapes were associated with better pollination services, likely due to the complementary roles of diverse pollinator communities.

Project leader and co-lead author Professor Jane Memmott explained: "Landscapes are more than the sum of their parts; they exhibit properties such as increased buffering against species loss and improved pollination that cannot be predicted from the component habitats."

The study's outcomes suggest a shift in conservation strategies. Traditional management plans often focus on specific habitats, such as prairie restoration, wetland creation, or linking the same habitats together. However, the findings underscore the importance of also maintaining multi-habitat landscapes to enhance biodiversity conservation. The interconnectedness of habitats, facilitated by mobile species that depend on multiple environments, creates a more robust and functional ecosystem.

Co-author Dr Alix Sauve, research associate on this project, added: “Knowing how habitats work together is key when acquiring new nature reserves for instance. The landscape context of candidate sites should be considered to leverage ecosystem functioning and their stability in the long run.”

Researchers compared the structure and function of food webs in landscapes with varying numbers of habitats. The study involved sampling plants, herbivorous insects, and their parasitoids, as well as pollinators, across six different habitat types. Over 11,000 species interactions were documented. A field experiment further assessed pollination efficiency using wild strawberries as a test plant, revealing the positive impact of habitat diversity on pollination.

The team now plans to explore the effects of specific habitat combinations and their compatibility. Further research may also examine other ecological functions, such as seed dispersal and decomposition, in multi-habitat landscapes. These studies could also have significant implications for agricultural practices, potentially enhancing food production and pest control, and ecosystem health.

This study highlights the complex and interdependent nature of ecosystems at the landscape scale.

Professor Memmott concluded: “Mobile species effectively glue the various habitats together, underscoring the intricate connections that sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services.”

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Journal

Nature

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

‘Multi-habitat landscapes are more diverse and stable with improved function’

Article Publication Date

21-Aug-2024

 

Facts alone fall short in correcting science misinformation

Washington State University

SPOKANE, Wash. – Just the facts may not be enough to overcome misinformation, a recent study indicates.

In an experiment, 152 college students who had been exposed to misinformation read one of two articles intended to give them the correct, scientifically backed information. Those who read an expository article that had “just the facts” retained more misconceptions than those who read an article with a refutation—meaning it specifically called out the false claims before presenting the facts.

The study published in Journal of Research in Science Teaching adds evidence that a refutation approach may be a better way to combat misinformation than traditional methods of communicating science.

“Refutational approaches seem to work really well,” said lead author Robert Danielson, a Washington State University educational psychology researcher. “While it’s always best to get out in front as a teacher or communicator, students have smartphones. They're going to run into misinformation quickly. If we take this refutational approach, we’re more likely to overcome misinformation.”

For this study, researchers first tested what the student participants knew about putting fluoride in water. The students then read two articles: one with false information saying that fluoridation is harmful and another presenting the scientific consensus that has found fluoridation is safe and prevents dental disease. The participants all read the same misinformation text, but different groups read an article with the correct information either in a traditional “just the facts” style or one that first refuted the misinformation. The study also tested the effects of having the participants read the correct article before, or after, the misinformation.

A post-test revealed that the students still learned under all four conditions – but the group that performed the worst had seen the misinformation first, followed by a “just the facts” type text. Those who had read the refutation article either before, or after, the misinformation had fewer misconceptions. They also had more positive emotions toward the subject.

With a profusion of information easily available on the internet, it can be hard for many people to sort fact from falsehood. This can cause a problem researchers call “conceptual contamination” -- when learning incorrect information interferes with learning the correct information.

“Your mind doesn’t discriminate for content. Whether it’s a correct conception or a misconception, it just kind of absorbs it all,” Danielson said. “People can learn misconceptions pretty easily, and there's no shortage of that online.”

Educational researchers like Danielson are looking for ways to teach science that break through the noise of misinformation. This study and others show that a refutation approach is promising.  

The researchers chose fluoridation for this experiment because it is less politically charged than other scientific topics like climate change or evolution. However, Danielson and his colleagues recently did a meta-analysis published in the journal Educational Psychologist of 76 other educational studies. They found the refutational approach works well for a wide range of topics from noncontroversial issues in physics and chemistry to highly controversial ones including climate change and evolution as well as genetically modified foods and vaccines.

“Some misconceptions can be relatively innocuous, like when a child thinks that chocolate milk comes from brown cows,” Danielson said. “But for other things, like deep-seated misconceptions about the safety and efficacy of vaccines, there could be some real serious down-the-road implications, not just for you, but for future generations as well.”

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Journal

Journal of Research in Science Teaching

DOI

10.1002/tea.21963 

Article Title

Conceptual contamination: Investigating the impact of misinformation on conceptual change and inoculation strategies

Two thirds of baby foods in US grocery stores are unhealthy, study shows

Wake-up call for parents and policymakers with widespread use of misleading claims

George Institute for Global Health

A staggering 60 percent of infant and toddler foods fail to meet nutritional recommendations, and none meet promotional requirements set by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, according to new research published today in the scientific journal Nutrients. 1

In the absence of US-specific nutrition or promotional guidelines for these foods, researchers at The George Institute for Global Health assessed data on 651 infant and toddler food products sold in the top ten US grocery chains held in the Institute’s FoodSwitch database against this international benchmark.2

Among all products, 70 percent failed to meet protein requirements and 44 percent exceeded total sugar requirements. A further one in four products did not meet calorie requirements and one in five exceeded recommended sodium limits.

Dr Elizabeth Dunford, Research Fellow at The George Institute, and Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina said that the rising popularity of processed convenience foods for infants and young children was concerning.

“Early childhood is a crucial period of rapid growth and when taste preferences and dietary habits form, potentially paving the way for the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and some cancers later in life,” she said.

“Time-poor parents are increasingly choosing convenience foods, unaware that many of these products lack key nutrients needed for their child’s development and tricked into believing they are healthier than they really are.”

Researchers found that baby food pouches are the fastest growing products in the sector, with a 900 percent increase in the proportion of sales deriving from pouches in the last 13 years. Concerningly, pouches ranked among the unhealthiest products assessed, with fewer than 7 percent meeting total sugar recommendations.*

The study also revealed the extent of misleading marketing practices, with almost all (99.4 percent) products featuring at least one prohibited claim on their packaging. On average, products displayed four prohibited claims, with some displaying as many as 11. Common claims included ‘non genetically modified (GM)’ (70 percent), ‘organic’ (59 percent), ‘no BPA’ (37 percent), and ‘no artificial colors/flavors’ (25 percent).

Dr Daisy Coyle, Research Fellow and Dietitian at The George Institute said that claims like these create a so-called ‘health halo’ around these products.

“The lack of regulation in this area leaves the door wide open for the food industry to deceive busy parents,” she said.

“We saw this not only in the use of misleading claims but also in the use of misleading names, where the product name did not reflect the main ingredients found on the ingredient list.”

“For example, snack and finger foods often referred to fruit or vegetables in the product name, despite primarily being made of flour or other starches,” Dr Coyle added.

Obesity in children aged two to five has more than doubled in the US since the 1970s, with approximately 13% of preschool children living with obesity.3 This has only worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic.4

“While reducing childhood obesity was a priority under the Obama administration, the issue appears to have fallen by the wayside in recent years,” added Dr Dunford.

“Our findings highlight the urgent need for better regulation and guidance in the infant and toddler foods market in the United States - the health of future generations depends on it.”

1. Coyle DH et al. An evaluation of the nutritional and promotional profile of commercial foods for infants and toddlers in the United States. Nutrients 2024. 16,0
2. World Health Organization. Nutrient and Promotion Profile Model: Supporting appropriate promotion of food products for infants and young children 6–36 months in the WHO European Region. 2022
   https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2022-6681-46447-67287
3. Fryar CD, et al. Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among children and adolescents aged 2–19 years: United States, 1963–1965 through 2017–2018. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity-child-17-18/overweight-obesity-child-H.pdf
4. Lange SJ et al. Longitudinal Trends in Body Mass Index Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Persons Aged 2–19 Years — United States, 2018–2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70:1278–1283
   https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7037a3.htm?s_cid=mm7037a3_w

*This represents 7 percent of all pouches, but fruit-based pouches (which contain the most sugar) aren’t included in the WHO criteria. This figure becomes 69% if fruit-base pouches are excluded.

---

Journal

Nutrients

DOI

10.3390/nu16160000 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

An Evaluation of the Nutritional and Promotional Profile of Commercial Foods for Infants and Toddlers in the United States

Article Publication Date

21-Aug-2024

More than 70 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested outside Democratic convention


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Protesters hold signs before marching during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday. 

Photo by Paul Beaty/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Several dozens of arrests were made on the Democratic National Convention's second night in Chicago after hundreds of Pro-Palestinian protestors clashed with police outside Israel's diplomatic outpost in the midwest U.S., according to multiple reports

At least 72 protesters were arrested Tuesday night, according to the National Lawyers Guild's Chicago chapter, after a crowd of roughly 200 protesters tried to break through a police barricade when fighting broke

"The repressive police response to a Palestine solidarity protest at the Israeli Consulate seemed preplanned and designed to stifle free expression during the Democratic National Convention," Ben Meyer, of the NLG's Chicago guild said. " Assurances that the city would respect people's First Amendment rights during the convention rings hollow next to this brazenly aggressive approach to free expression."

The Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest praised local law enforcement efforts and said in a statement it was "appalled" over the violence in front of its office, saying that it was "anything but peaceful" and "completely contradictory to the spirit of the DNC."

The event, non-permitted, which began around 7 p.m. CDT, was organized by Behind Enemy Lines, a leftist group with militant leaning, and Samidoun which is a group banned in Israel and Germany over alleged ties to terrorist groups.

"This vocal minority does not represent the vast bipartisan majority of Americans who stand strong in support of Israel," the consulate stated, adding it was "incredibly heartwarming" to see "many Americans countering this hate" as it unfolded outside its Chicago office, which the consulate believes echoes "the strong bond between America and Israel."

The consulate was barricaded and heavily protected by police on bicycles as protestors were chanting pro-Palestinian slogans. After speeches the scene quickly got unruly and proceeded to quickly march toward Chicago police down the block.

Hundreds of local police officers wearing riot gear made several attempts to box in the group of demonstrators as some engaged with officers, but had managed to direct the crowd toward the downtown Chicago Loop area.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling praised the city's officers for "showing restraint when no one else did," saying his team "did an excellent job responding to violence and vandalism."

On Tuesday, reports said some protestors who got pushed downtown left the scene and some got arrested as others marched on to near Union Station, where some were seen climbing on signs before Chicago police forcibly took them down.

Police slowly corralled groups of demonstrators to various street intersections and made handfuls of arrests before again letting the diminishing crowd advance, ending at the corner of Monroe and Canal streets where police ended the protest, ordered people to disperse before arresting scores of remaining protestors.

"Dozens of people were brutally arrested outside the Israeli consulate by Brandon Johnson's thugs defending the genocidal criminals inside the DNC," Behind Enemy Lines posted on Instagram Tuesday night, a dig at Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Democrat.

Chicago's sizable metropolitan area with more than 9 million residents has the largest centralized Palestinian population in the nation. Additional security measures were in place Tuesday night after pro-Palestine protest organizers led by Behind Enemy Lines vowed to disrupt DNC proceedings that night.

Israeli consulate officials were "beyond disappointed" with what it claimed is the mayor's "ongoing support" for "anti-Israel protests in Chicago, particularly during the DNC, and his continued disregard for the large pro-Israel and Jewish community in the city," which a 2020 Brandeis University study reveals is an estimated 319,600 Jewish residents living in more than 175,000 sites in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Samidoun and BEL are one of several groups that have descended on Chicago in protest of the ongoing Democratic Convention for various different causes as other pro-Palestinian groups reportedly have plans to continue demonstrations Wednesday on the DNC's third day.

Tuesday was the second day protestors at the DNC clashed with police after Monday's mostly peaceful Coalition to March saw an estimated crowd of possibly up to 6,000 participants where more than 10 people got arrested, according to the DNC 2024 Joint Information Center.

But organized groups arrived in Chicago with "hostility," and "that's exactly what we saw tonight," Snelling told reporters on Tuesday. "People got too close to officers."

It was revealed organizers planned a "shut down the DNC for Gaza" rally for Tuesday evening to start outside Israel's consulate located less than 2 miles east from the convention site at downtown Chicago's United Center, which is on the same street.

Snelling said Tuesday that Chicago police were "up to the challenge" of policing the organized protests. He stated his belief how Monday's breach with protestors was not representative of that march as a whole.

"Within that protest, we had people who simply wanted to exercise their First Amendment rights," he said.

Protesters also disrupted a DNC breakfast event at the Fairmont Hotel by placing containers full of maggots or cricket on tables Wednesday morning.

"Multiple unknown female offenders are alleged to have entered a building" and "began placing unknown objects onto tables containing food," the DNC information center said in a statement Wednesday.

"The offenders are believed to have then left the area," the statement said.

One person attending the breakfast event was treated and released for an unidentified medical condition and no arrests were made, the DNC organizers said.

A witness told USA Today the bugs were maggots but others say they were crickets.

The FBI and Chicago police are investigating the incident.

A similar incident happened at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stayed there last month during a controversial visit to address Congress.

A group calling itself the Palestinian Youth Movement claimed responsibility for releasing maggots, crickets and other bugs and set off fire alarms during Netanyahu's stay to protest the Israel's killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

Ukraine MPs vote to ban Russia-linked Orthodox Church

By AFP
August 20, 2024


Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church believers pray in Kyiv - Copyright ITALIAN COASTGUARD/AFP Handout
Barbara WOJAZER

Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday voted to ban the Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church, as Kyiv cuts religious, social and institutional ties with bodies it considers aligned with Moscow.

Kyiv has been trying to curb spiritual links with Russia for years — a process that was accelerated by Moscow’s 2022 invasion, which the powerful Russian Orthodox Church endorsed.

A majority of MPs approved the bill outlawing religious organisations linked with Russia, including the Russia-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which is linked to the Moscow patriarchate.

The bill needs to be signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky to come into force and will take years to implement, but still caused dismay among followers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

In Kyiv, believers were praying outside the Russian-affiliated part of the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a normal scene since the section was closed to the public last year.

“There’s no politics here. We just come and pray for our children and our loved ones… I’ve never seen any KGB agents,” said 56-year-old Svetlana, who declined to give her name due to the sensitivity of the question.

In a lilac dress and matching headscarf, Svetlana said she had been baptised and married in the church and worried about its potential full closure.

“If they close, people will still pray in the streets, maybe we’ll put up tents, there will be prayers anyway,” Svetlana said.




– ‘Everything is political’ –


The schism between Ukrainian and Russian-linked Churches was triggered by Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the war between Kyiv and Moscow-backed separatists in the east.

The Istanbul-based head of the Eastern Orthodox Church granted a breakaway wing, called the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), autocephaly — religious independence — from the Moscow Patriarchate in 2019.

The Moscow-linked Ukrainian Orthodox Church officially broke ties with its Russian counterpart in 2022, but some lawmakers have accused its leaders of collaborating with Russian clergymen despite the invasion.

“Everything is political. There can be no such thing as art, sports, or even religion outside politics,” reacted 21-year-old Igor.

He was in the Ukrainian-affiliated part of the Lavra monastery, which remains open.

“I actually totally support this ban,” he said, accusing the Russian Orthodox Church of being a Kremlin agent that “has metastasized so much that we will be fighting it for decades.”

The bill was welcomed by Zelensky’s office.

“There will be no Moscow Church in Ukraine,” Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, said on Telegram.

Lawmaker Iryna Gerashchenko called the vote historic.

“This is a matter of national security, not religion,” she said in a post on Telegram.

In Moscow, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Ukraine was trying to “destroy… true Orthodoxy.”

India court orders medical safety task force after doctor rape protests

By AFP
August 20, 2024

Medical professionals light candles as they pay tribute to a doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata, sparking furious protests - Copyright AFP Narinder NANU
Bhuvan BAGGA and Sailendra SIL in Kolkata

India’s Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a national task force to examine how to bolster security for healthcare workers after the “horrific” rape and murder of a doctor sparked medical strikes and furious protests.

The discovery of the 31-year-old doctor’s bloodied body at a state-run hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata on August 9 has stoked nationwide anger at the chronic issue of violence against women.

Doctors’ associations from government-run hospitals in many cities across India have launched strikes that cut non-essential services, with protests in their second week.

Demonstrators have given the murdered doctor the nickname “Abhaya”, meaning “fearless”.

Protesters marched through Kolkata on Tuesday, holding up signs demanding “justice”, while the country’s top court issued orders in the capital New Delhi.

“The brutality of the sexual assault and the nature of the crime have shocked the conscience of the nation,” the three-judge bench said in its order, calling the details “horrific”.

Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud read out the order, which called for the formation of a “national task force” of top doctors to prepare a plan to prevent violence in healthcare facilities and draw up an “enforceable national protocol” for safe working conditions.

The court said it had been forced to step in as the issue was of national concern.

“With the involvement of systemic issues for healthcare across the nation, this court has had to intervene,” it added.



– ‘Cannot await a rape’ –



“The lack of institutional safety norms at medical establishments, against both violence and sexual violence against medical professionals, is a matter of serious concern,” the court order read.

“With few or no protective systems to ensure their safety, medical professionals have become vulnerable to violence,” it added, highlighting a lack of CCTV cameras and a failure to screen visitors to hospitals for weapons.

“Lack of security personnel in medical care units is more of a norm than an exception,” it said.

The murdered doctor was found in the teaching hospital’s seminar hall, suggesting she had gone there for a break during a 36-hour-long shift.

An autopsy confirmed she had been sexually assaulted and, in a petition to the Kolkata High Court, her parents said they suspected their daughter was gang raped.

Many of the protests have been led by doctors and other healthcare workers but have also been joined by tens of thousands of ordinary Indians demanding action.

“As more and more women join the workforce in cutting edge areas of knowledge and science, the nation has a vital stake in ensuring safe and dignified conditions of work,” the court said.

“The nation cannot await a rape or murder for real changes on the ground,” it added.

Doctors have also demanded the implementation of the Central Protection Act, a bill to protect healthcare workers from violence.

One man, who worked at the hospital helping people navigate busy queues, has been detained.

– ‘Violence’ –



The gruesome nature of the attack has invoked comparisons with the horrific 2012 gang rape and murder of a young woman on a Delhi bus.

It has sparked widespread outrage in a country where sexual violence against women is endemic.

An average of nearly 90 rapes a day were reported in 2022 in the country of 1.4 billion people.

And conditions in some hospitals are grim.

The court highlighted gruelling 36-hour shifts where “even basic needs of sanitation, nutrition, hygiene and rest are lacking”.

It is also common in India for relatives to accuse healthcare workers of negligence when a patient dies, with the court noting such allegations are often “immediately followed by violence”.

Among the examples it listed, the court recounted how a nurse in Bihar state was pushed off the first floor of a hospital in May by the family of a pregnant patient who had died.

In a separate case, thousands of angry demonstrators occupied rail lines in India’s busy financial capital Mumbai on Tuesday, protesting the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old schoolgirls, railway officials said.

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Death ‘the only certainty’ for Gazans, says UN official


By AFP
August 20, 2024

A man inspects damage after an Israeli strike on a school building in Gaza City - Copyright AFP/File Tchandrou NITANGA

Wafaa ESSALHI

In war-ravaged Gaza, death appears to be the “only certainty” for 2.4 million Palestinians with no way to escape Israel’s relentless bombardment, a UN official said Tuesday, recounting the growing desperation across the territory.

“It does feel like people are waiting for death. Death seems to be the only certainty in this situation,” Louise Wateridge, a spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, also known as UNRWA, told AFP from Gaza.

For the past two weeks, Wateridge has been in the Gaza Strip, witnessing the humanitarian crisis, fear of death and spread of disease as the war rages on.

“Nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe, absolutely nowhere is safe. It’s absolutely devastating,” Wateridge said from the Nuseirat area of central Gaza — a regular target of Israel’s aerial assaults.

Since fighting broke out in October, Israeli forces have pounded the besieged territory from the air, land and sea, reducing much of it to rubble.

Now in its eleventh month, the war has created an acute humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people, most of whom have been displaced several times, running out of basic food and clean drinking water.

“We are facing unprecedented challenges when it comes to the spread of disease, when it comes to hygiene. Part of this is because of the Israeli imposed siege on the Gaza Strip,” Wateridge said.

The war began with Palestinian militant group Hamas’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,199 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Since then, Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 40,173 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, which does not provide details of civilian and militant deaths.

Most of the dead in Gaza are women and children, according to the UN human rights office.

– Rats, mice, scorpions –

Tens of thousands of people have taken refuge in schools across the Gaza Strip, an increasingly regular target of Israeli missiles.

Israel’s military says these schools have been used as command and control centres by Hamas, a charge the Islamist group denies.

“Even a school is not anymore a safe place,” said Wateridge.

“It feels like you’re never more than a few blocks away from the front line now.”

Tired of reacting to the Israeli military’s “continuous” evacuation orders, more and more Gazans are reluctant to keep moving from place to place, Wateridge said.

“They feel like they’re being chased around in circles… It’s quite a lot to move in terms of the heat, young children, elderly, disabled,” she said.

Many Gazans AFP has interviewed say they no longer want to move their families, their tents and the few belongings they are still left with.

They have criticised what they describe as a lack of clarity in Israeli evacuation orders — including maps dropped from planes — and communications challenges given Gaza’s lack of regular internet access, electricity and telecommunications coverage.

Those who are still moving say that wherever they go “there are rats, there are mice, there are scorpions, there are cockroaches,” Wateridge said, adding that insects “spread disease from shelter to shelter.”

Last week the Gaza health ministry said the territory had recorded its first polio case in 25 years.

Wateridge said that the UN was waiting for Israel’s green light to go from tent to tent and vaccinate children to prevent polio from spreading.

Though talks have been deadlocked for months, Wateridge said Gazans “always hope for a ceasefire” and “keep a close eye on the negotiations”.

In the coming days, international mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt will hold a new round of talks in Cairo to again try to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

we-sbh-jd-rcb/dr

South Korean pet care goes high-tech with AI diagnostics

By AFP
August 21, 2024

Mozzi, a goldendoodle, sits near X-ray results processed through 'X Caliber', AI-powered software that is helping veterinarians make quicker diagnoses - Copyright AFP ANTHONY WALLACE
Hieun SHIN

When five-year-old goldendoodle Mozzi started walking “unnaturally”, his concerned owner rushed him to the vet in South Korea, where the problem was diagnosed not by humans but by AI.

South Korea, a global leader in the production of chips that power generative AI, has been quick to embrace novel uses of the technology.

One such application, “X Caliber”, is helping vets pinpoint X-ray abnormalities in seconds, making diagnostics both quicker and easier to explain.

The AI reading of Mozzi’s X-rays showed the curly-haired goldendoodle had a 22 percent chance of knee dislocation. While not an emergency, his condition needed careful management to head off surgery.

“I wouldn’t have understood the results if I didn’t look at the numbers,” said Mo Jae-hyun, Mozzi’s owner, adding that the AI program helped him understand his pet’s woes.

“Of course, I trust my vet, but looking at the results myself, it seems more credible.”

The software’s developer, South Korean telecom provider SK Telecom, said X Caliber has a disease detection rate of up to 86 percent.

Vets say it has transformed their ability to diagnose.

“Dogs with heart disease, for example, tend to have enlarged hearts. We use a method called VHS (vertebral heart size), which used to require measuring one by one, manually,” Oh I-se, CEO of Sky Animal Medical Group, told AFP.

But now AI can reveal the result in 15 seconds, so it is “much more convenient,” Oh said.

– Global aims –

SK Telecom considers X Caliber “the beginning of AI healthcare”, said Joo Ye-seul, manager of the software’s global team. “We plan further expansion into additional domains based on this.”

The service is already available in the United States, Australia and some Southeast Asian countries.

In Indonesia, veterinary hospital owner Kristanya Oen says X Caliber is helping to overcome a lack of expertise and trained staff.

“There is a shortage of radiologists in Indonesian animal hospitals and it is not easy to receive radiology education in Indonesia, so we needed X Caliber to help with our diagnostics,” Oen told AFP.

SK Telecom is part of the same conglomerate as SK Hynix, which launched the first high-bandwidth memory chips — cutting-edge semiconductors that enable faster data processing and the more complex tasks of generative AI.

While many experts are questioning the payoff of lavish AI investments following a recent fall in technology stocks, the conglomerate’s CEO Chey Tae-won remains committed.

SK Group must “think fiercely about next-generation products,” he told employees this month.

In June, SK Group announced plans to invest 80 trillion won ($60 billion) in AI chips, services and data centres.

– Pet nation –

In South Korea, where more and more people are turning to “pet parenthood” instead of having children, it is not necessarily surprising that AI healthcare would begin with animals.

In a country with one of the world’s lowest birth rates, pet ownership has roughly doubled in the last decade, official figures show.

One in four households now have at least one furry friend, and last year more strollers were sold for pets than for human babies on popular e-commerce platform, Gmarket.

The pet care industry was worth an estimated eight trillion won ($6 billion) in 2022, a fourfold increase compared with five years earlier.

The government aims to double the industry’s value by 2027 and is helping support pet food and healthcare businesses through various loans and tax incentives.

Jumping on the trend, South Korean companies are working on new ways of integrating AI into pet care, including “smart toilets” for early detection of urinary diseases and “smart leashes” that monitor pulse and body temperature.

“Devices that can monitor mild to severe diseases in the daily life of pets are expected to expand,” said Kim Soo-kyung, a senior manager at the Economic Research Institute in KPMG Korea.

Privacy lawsuit over Chrome ‘Sync’ feature gets new life

By AFP
August 20, 2024


A federal appeals court ruling reconsiders how tech companies are protected by users agreeing to privacy policies, contending they should factor in whether it is reasonable to expect typical users to understand the complex legal wording involved - Copyright AFP Josh Edelson

A federal appeals court on Tuesday breathed new life into a lawsuit by Chrome users who say Google gathered data even though they did not “Sync” to their accounts.

A panel of judges in California ruled that a lower court was wrong to toss the case on the grounds that Chrome users had agreed to Google’s privacy policy, and that the lawsuit should head for trial.

“We disagree with this ruling and are confident the facts of the case are on our side,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in response to an AFP inquiry.

“Chrome Sync helps people use Chrome seamlessly across their different devices and has clear privacy controls.”

Google launched Sync in 2009 with the aim of letting Chrome users access bookmarks, passwords, tabs and more across devices by linking to a Google account, the internet giant said in a blog post.

The appellate ruling said the district court should have looked at the privacy policy consent defense from the perspective of a typical Chrome user, instead of “attributing to that user the skill of an experienced business lawyer or someone who is able to easily ferret through a labyrinth of legal jargon to understand what he or she is consenting to.”

“A determination of what a ‘reasonable’ user would have understood must take into account the level of sophistication attributable to the general public, which uses Google’s services,” the appellate court judges in California wrote.

The class action lawsuit filed by Chrome users accuses Google of violating their privacy and breaking the law by collecting data about them, even through they were “unsynced.”

The suit represents people who browsed the web using Chrome without Sync from July 26, 2016 to the present, according to court documents.

The appeals court also pointed out that Google did not deny collecting the users’ data; instead, the company only said the users had agreed to the company’s privacy policy.